Embarking on one of the biggest peacetime recruitment operations in Australia's history, the Australian Bureau of Statistics is looking for about 26,000 workers. These recruits, from around Australia, will help deliver and collect Census forms for 10 million households.

The Census of Population and Housing, held every five years, will take place on 8 August this year, and collector recruitment will begin on 8 April. Collectors are employed from 30 June until 9 September. In urban areas, each collector has responsibility for about 500 homes. In rural areas a collector covers upwards of 200 homes because of the extra travelling time.

Collectors work part-time and are required to use their own vehicles. The majority of collectors will earn between $800 and $1500, depending on their workload. The recruitment campaign invites collectors to become part of a great national tradition. The Census has grown up with Australia. The ABS, formerly known as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, conducted its first Census in 1911.

This year's Census will be the 15th conducted by the Bureau. The Census is the basis for all ABS population figures. It not only counts our population, but helps to define who we are as Australians. Census information is used for a range of planning purposes by all levels of government, private institutions and the community. It helps to determine such things as where schools and hospitals will be built. The number of seats each state and territory has in the House of Representatives is based on Census figures, as are federal funding arrangements for the states and territories.

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